Howlin vetoes Croke Park II revisit

Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin has ruled out a renegotiation of Croke Park II in the event that it is rejected by public service unions next Wednesday.

Mr Howlin reiterated that the Government’s financial target of €300m in savings this year and €1bn over the next three years will be achieved whether the public service committee of Irish Congress of Trade Unions backs it or not.

“The deal is the deal. That is on the table,” he said. “We have the data as to what is demonstrably fair. We need €300m. Time is running on that. There is no time for people talking of “we will put pressure on this” or “we will lobby on that”. We also are in a process of renegotiating deals. It is happening right now in Dublin Castle and Michael Noonan is involved in that. Part of that is the confidence that we have built up that we can do these things.”

In a radio interview yesterday, Mr Howlin said he “hopes and expects” the agreement that is on the table will be accepted.

“In the event it is not [accepted], the arithmetic doesn’t change one iota,” he said. “We are going to have to make those reductions. I want to do that in as fair a way as I can, so whether there will be a direct 7% or whether it will be a combination of the deal we have on the table that can, with assurance, be implemented, that is something we have to reflect upon.”

When asked would there be a case of “divide and conquer”, with a scenario where some people to whom Croke Park applies would have the deal applied to them while others who have rejected it would be subjected to a cut, Mr Howlin said he did not want to give any scenario.

In the interview with Pat Kenny on RTÉ radio, Mr Howlin once again took a swipe at unions who had walked away from the talks, saying the unions that involved themselves in the talks on Croke Park II “mitigated” some of the losses their members faced by changing work practices and finding the money “in a more creative way”.

Mr Howlin also defended his party’s resolve on the issue and preparedness to back 7% pay cuts if the deal is rejected.

“People would underestimate the steel, the determination, the patriotism of Labour parliamentary members at their peril,” he said.

“People should not divide or underestimate us. We will do the right thing by this country in fixing this economy in the most difficult circumstances we have ever faced.”

Meanwhile, yet another union yesterday rejected the terms of Croke Park II. The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, which represents 1,500 craftworkers in the public service, voted 66% against acceptance. The deal has also been rejected by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association.